Loose Ends
by Ivy Kendall
Summary: Tag for 3.06. This was from a question on a fan forum, that became a prompt. Since no one else told Joanna Cass the truth about Alice, Sharon and Amy delivered the news.


"Captain, why are we here?" Amy looked around the all-to-familiar neighbourhood, as she got out of the front passenger's seat. She rarely drove anywhere with the Captain, and the fact that this felt more personal than business, unnerved her greatly.

"We have to tie up some loose ends, Detective," was the definitive reply, spoken to indicate no further questions were appreciated.

In the early days, Sykes would have been oblivious to the tone and inflection in her Captain's voice, and proceed to ask questions. However three years, and a few gentle but firm reprimands, had taught her what the tone meant. No one working with Captain Raydor for any length of time, questioned when she shut down a discussion. It was understood than when she decided she would no longer participate in conversation, no one around her pushed it. Sykes had noticed that even those higher on the chain of command kept their council when Raydor's tone announced they were finished.

So Amy nodded in obedience, looked down to the ground, and awaited the Captain's next move.

Sharon looked at the address marked on the top papers of the folder she carried, then proceeded to the house. Sighing slightly, and shaking her head, Sharon closed the file again, put it in the LAPD folder she carried and rang the doorbell.

"Yes?" the question came when Joanna Cass answered the door. The woman looked confused, then concerned. "You're from the police department, aren't you?" She didn't let go of the door, and didn't indicate that either the Captain or the Detective were welcome to enter.

"Ms. Cass, my name is Captain Sharon Raydor, and this is Detective Amy Sykes. If I might come in, there are a few matters I need to discuss with you."

"Do I need my lawyer?" Still, the woman didn't move.

Sharon smiled indulgently, "That won't be necessary." They she waved her hand towards the door, "May we?"

"Is this about Alice, or whatever her name is?"

"I'd much rather have this conversation in the privacy of your living room, Ms. Cass. I think you would too."

Joanna Cass bit her bottom lip for a moment, then nodded slightly and backed up to allow Sharon and Amy into her house. Once she closed the door, she led them to a small study off to the side. Amy was again overwhelmed by the opulence of the house, but Sharon seemed oblivious.

"I'm all alone today," Joanna said defensively. "Thad is out with friends, and I haven't hired a new cleaning service. After my last experience, I want to make sure the people working in my house have a criminal check."

Sharon nodded once, then sat in the settee opposite Joanna. "Amy," Sharon said, tilting her head to the other half of the settee, and indicating that she should sit down.

Although uncomfortable, Amy sat beside Sharon and looked at Joanna. It was not her place to say anything, so she sat and waited.

"First," Sharon started, "I wanted to explain that Det. Sykes is here as an observer today. She has indicated a hope to be in command some day, so I'm showing her some of the things I do outside the office."

Amy was not expecting that, and hoped her face did not give away her surprise. Whatever the Captain was up to, she was meant to sit, watch, witness, and remain silent. That part of the message was clear. She would do as she was commanded.

"Okay," Joanna said, sounding more nervous and shifting slightly in her chair.

"The first thing I want to tell you, Ms. Cass, is that your judgement was sound when it came to Alice."

"What do you mean?" She stopped fidgeting and really looked at Sharon for the first time.

"What I mean, Ms. Cass, is that your faith in Alice was not misplaced. She was not the one who stoled from you. In fact I'm here to tell you she died trying to protect you."

Joanna stared at Sharon in disbelief, then began blinking to keep tears at bay. "I... I don't understand. At the station, you... that Lieutenant... he didn't say anything..."

Sharon watched as the woman's voice cracked and her attempts to keep from crying failed. A small trail of wetness flowed down both cheeks, and she tried to wipe it away to regain her composure.

"Why wasn't I told this when I was there the other day? That Lt. Flynn was so angry at me, making me feel it was all my fault."

"Ms. Cass..."

"Joanna," she interrupted Sharon, "please call me Joanna."

"Alright, Joanna... when we are in the middle of an investigation, we withhold information from witnesses to see if they volunteer anything that might help us. You employed Alice in your home for two months, and were one of the few people to speak with her. We had no way to know what you might remember."

"Yes... but to suggest I was to blame..."

Sharon shifted and moved closer to Joanna, "I know my Lieutenants were aggressive. That's how they do their job. We encounter people all the time who cover up information, and sometimes we have to force the truth. I won't say it's pleasant, but it is often necessary."

"But I'm a law abiding citizen. He had no right to treat me like that," Joanna huffed. The tears had dried up. "I made a complaint. He needs to be dealt with."

Opening the folder on her lap, Sharon pulled out the complaint file on Andy. She hadn't seen one for more than two years, and it was only her close contact with members of FID that let her know about this one that had been filed the day before. Out of the corner of her eye Sharon saw Amy flinch.

"I wanted to talk to you about that as well, Joanna. You need to know that before I took over this division, I was the head of the division that investigated complaints like this. It was my job to review everything. I also need you to know that 90% of complaints to the LAPD are unfounded."

"Unfounded?" Joanna's hostility started to increase, "as in the LAPD decides to protect their own rather than deal with the justified complaints of every day citizens?"

Sharon smiled her understanding. Only someone who knew her well would have caught the slight hitch in her breath. "No, not at all. What I mean is most members of the public do not know or understand the rules we have in place to guide conduct. I wrote many of them myself, in my twenty-five years with the department."

"So, what don't I understand? He practically accused me of murdering Alice!" Joanna crossed her arms and dared Sharon to contradict her.

Instead, Sharon clicked her pen, and raised it to take Joanna's statement, "Tell me again what he said. I want to have a clean record."

That was not the response she had been expecting. Immediately Joanna uncrossed her arms and started to shift uncomfortably. Looking from Sharon to Amy and back, she licked he lips. "Well... well he was pushing me for information about Alice, or whatever her name is. He told me her name wasn't even Alice. How was I supposed to know that?" she shrugged.

Sharon nodded as she wrote notes, not looking up at Joanna. The other woman had nothing to do but continue.

"And... well, he said she was killed here, and he said my son was a suspect."

"Did he say 'suspect'?"

"Um... no, not exactly, I guess. But they were questioning him and I couldn't see him."

"And after you asked for a lawyer, were you denied seeing your son then?"

"Ah... no, that Lieutenant was called out of the room, by you, I think. Then the other one told me to sit tight. He went wherever Thad was, and brought him to me."

"So, Lt. Flynn never denied you seeing your son, is that correct?"

"I... I..." Joanna looked off in the distance, trying to find the right thing to say. Finally she looked at Sharon again, "I guess he didn't. He left the room so he couldn't say anything."

Sharon continued to write furiously, not once looking up. "And while he was asking you about Alice, what did he want to know?"

"He wanted to know her last name, and where she came from... and he made me feel like I was a bad employer for not getting to know her better. I did the best I could, but he didn't understand that. He kept pushing me about information I didn't have. Why should I feel guilty because she lied to me? How was I supposed to know?"

"Joanna," Sharon put her pen down and looked up at the woman, "is it possible, just think about it. Is it possible that maybe you felt so bad about Alice's death that you were more sensitive to the questions than you might have been otherwise?"

"Are you suggesting that I was projecting?" the ire returning to her voice.

Raising her hand to calm the other woman, Sharon soften her words. "No, not at all. I've been in the room when questioning like this happens, and it is uncomfortable. I saw you shedding tears over Alice just a few minutes ago. You gave her that set of combs and scissors. You obviously cared about the girl even though you only knew her a short time. All I'm asking is... is it possible that your grief and upset over Alice's death made you feel a little more... more raw emotionally, than you would normally? Perhaps the fact you felt betrayed by her, made you feel you weren't respected by anyone? Is it possible?"

"I..." again, Joanna didn't have words and looked around her to collect her thoughts.

Sharon waited patiently.

"She was really trying to stop it?" Joanna's voice sounded almost ghostlike. "I was so angry at her, and angry at myself for being a fool and hiring her in the first place." She looked up, pleadingly, hoping Sharon understood.

Lowering her head for a moment, Sharon closed the file on her lap and clicked the pen before she looked up at the other woman. "We can't be sure of all the details, and this case is going to trial, so it will be some time until we do, but yes... Alice was trying to stop the burglary. She felt the same amount of loyalty towards you, that you had towards her."

"But she lied..."

"Yes," Sharon nodded sadly, "she lied about who she was. She lied about her name because she didn't want anyone to find her. We found out another place she called herself 'Jessie'. She lied about her age because she wanted a job. But one thing she didn't lie about was how hardworking she was, and how she wanted to do a good job. That was the truth and I suspect that was what you saw in her and why you hired her."

"I should have asked more questions..." Joanna shook her head, and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I should have insisted in driving her home, or finding out more about her."

Taking another deep breath, Sharon leveled a gaze at Joanna, "That's now how this is done. You know it and I know it. My Lieutenant has never had a housekeeper in his life, but both you and I take them for granted. These women are in our homes, around our things, and so kind to us, but the rules say we don't get too close."

"But she was so young... how could I not see that?"

"I suspect you would have with more time. You strike me as someone who is very perceptive. I think Alice would have relaxed around you, if she'd been her longer. She would have slipped up, and said something to make you question what was going on. Or the alternative could have happened, and she might have left again, hoping no one would find her. This was not the first time she hid her identity and her age. Girls like that hide themselves away from others."

Joanna got up and paced the room, wringing her hands all the while. It was obvious to both Sharon and Amy that the woman felt responsible for Alice's death, even though the law said otherwise.

"What's her story?" Joanna asked at last. "What do you know about her?"

Sharon stood and joined Joanna, "Not much, unfortunately. We weren't able to identify her. No one was looking for her. We know she was fifteen. We suspect she grew up in the southern part of Maryland, or northern Virginia. We know she was abused."

At that, Joanna covered her mouth and the tears began again. "Where... where is she now?"

"She's in the morgue. When no one claims the body, we have a special room where they go."

"So... she's all alone?" Joanna was more horrified at that. "She doesn't even get a funeral?"

Sharon shrugged. "Money is tight, and sometimes the city can't bury these victims right away."

"She deserves a funeral. Everyone deserves that."

"We did have a memorial service for her," Sharon started. "The lieutenant that you thought so heartless? Lt. Flynn arranged for a memorial at headquarters. Our entire division attended."

Joanna was surprised at that. "Lt. Flynn?"

"Sometimes..." Sharon started, then faltered. "We're only human, Joanna, and sometimes we get more emotionally involved with cases than we might otherwise. Lt. Flynn did that this time. He wanted to know Alice and her story. That happens, and sometimes we end up being more aggressive than we might be otherwise. He didn't want her to be just another statistic of a runaway teenager. He wanted her life to mean something."

"It did..." Joanna looked away. "She meant something."

Both women stood in silence, lost in their own thought. Neither looked at the other for a long time. Amy continued to observe, doing what she was told. She was there to learn and remain quiet.

"Can I have her?" Joanna finally asked Sharon. "Can I claim her? Can I make sure she has a proper burial?"

"There are channels..." Sharon began.

"If I pay for a private detective to find out who she was and her name, can I then pay for her funeral and burial? Can you help me do that?"

Sharon didn't know how to answer. "I... I'm..."

"I'll drop my complaint against Lt. Flynn. I'll do that right now," Joanna said anxiously.

"I didn't come here to make that deal," Sharon replied with caution in her voice.

Joanna shook her head dismissively, "Doesn't matter. I won't make my complaint. I'll tell everyone I need to, that I shouldn't have made it in the first place. I was wrong, and that Lieutenant was only doing his job."

Sharon hoped the sigh of relief wasn't evident to the other woman. "I'll take care of that, Joanna, and thank you. I'll also look into having Alice's body released to you. I know it will mean a lot to my team to find out as much as we can about her life. We will keep looking, but you have more resources and won't have the same restrictions we have."

"Of course, of course," Joanna waved her hand. "I'll start today, and thank you, Captain. Thank you for coming here and telling me about Alice. I was more heartbroken than you can imagine. I didn't want to believe I'd been so wrong about her, but the evidence..." she shrugged.

"She was a good person, Joanna. You were right to hire her and support her. She was lucky to have you."

"I could have done so much more."

"Perhaps, but despite everything, she was healthy and you made sure she kept her dream alive. Sometimes that is the most valuable thing we can give a person."

Returning to the settee, Sharon collected her purse and folder, nodded to Amy, and the two were lead back to the front.

"Thank you again." Joanna said as she closed the door behind them.

When they were settled back in the car, Sharon looked at Amy. "And..." she drew out the word.

"Did you do that especially for Lt. Flynn?"

Amy was blunt, and to the point. Sharon expected no less. "Yes and no. I was telling the truth when I said FID had contacted me. The complaint was not officially filed. It was a curtesy to let me know, and I knew any investigation would come to nothing. Lt. Flynn was already overly sensitive to this case. He did not need a complaint, the first in years, I might add, to make things worse. Lt. Provenza was in the room, and assured me that Andy hadn't crossed the line. I trust them both.

"But the truth Amy... I did the same for Julio a few weeks ago. Do you remember those two children, and the woman who was sleeping with her cousin?"

When Amy nodded, Sharon continued, "We have it recorded that Julio flipped a table and could have hurt that man. I had to deal with it."

"But isn't that an abuse of your position?"

"No, Amy. I know it sounds like it might be, but when I was working FID, we had two types of complaints. Those against officers who needed to be reprimanded, and those against officers who let their passion for justice get in the way. We always had commanding officers come to their defense. Always!

"Chief Taylor gave Julio an official reprimand. That's what we worked out. It's on the files, Julio is well aware of what happened, and as the commanding officer, I was asked to make a judgement before things went too far. Because I was FID for years, I have more respect from them. That team knows I don't play favourites."

Amy sat for a few moments, processing everything she heard, then looked at Sharon again. "If anyone finds out about this, they will accuse you of exactly that... of playing favourites. You have to know it could happen."

"I do," Sharon nodded, "which is why I brought you along. You can attest to the fact I told Joanna I was not negotiating with her to drop the complaint."

"So... I was only here as a witness?"

"No Amy. What I said in there was true, you will one day be in command. I see it in you. What you had today was a lesson in _how_ to command. Surround yourself with officers and friends who can get this upset about injustice. Make sure you know all the people under you can feel righteous indignation. Do that in your personal life, as well. Spend your time with women and men who care more for victims then they do for themselves. I learned that lesson too late. I don't want you to make my mistake."

"Is this about Lt. Cooper?" Amy had to ask.

"Yes... partially..." Sharon admitted. "But it's more than that. You will one day be in charge of a team that may be all men or mostly men. Never believe that women are more emotional. Men are far more volatile in that area, although they will never admit it. You have to learn how to calm them and bring out their strengths. They will need you to be in control when they can't control themselves. Earn their respect, protect them when they need it, put them in their place when they get out of line, and remember that the officer who can cry over the death of a child, is someone you want to keep close."


End file.
